Fuel For the Traitors
by TheOriginalTale
Summary: It's been two long years since Red Dawn and Black Thursday. Just as all hope for change seems to be lost, a surprising alliance will form. In the coming storm, Cole will have to decide if freedom is truly worth the deadly price. The sequel to Underfire.
1. A New Life

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**This story contains MAJOR spoilers to the prequel, Underfire. If you have not yet read Underfire, or are in the process of reading Underfire, DO NOT READ THIS STORY! It is highly advised you read Underfire first to get the full story so far coming in.**

**Thanks for reading, enjoy!**

"We begin today's broadcast with an update on a story that has been developing over the past months. Reports have come in that there has been further troop movements from the monster kingdom. The military buildup along the border connecting the monster kingdom and the country of Niaca, showing no sign of slowing down. Prime Minister Art Peterson has demanded King Asgore Dreemurr to back down, giving a deadline of ten days, threatening to close the land border entirely if the monster kingdom does not comply. Dreemurr has yet to respond to both the economic trade sanctions put in place one month ago, and these latest developments. Both nations are escalating towards war, and the Prime Minister has placed the Niacan army on full alert. Meanwhile, reports have come from within the monster borders that another riot was brutally suppressed in the city of Agolens, with over fifty rioters shot, an unknown number missing, and fourteen civilians with the misfortune of being caught in the brutal crossfire. Dreemurr is believed to be increasing military presence in the city even further in response to the-"

Cole reached over, turning the radio off. He sighed wearily, putting his head in his hands. The sun was barely peeking through the window of the old cabin. He rubbed the bags under his eyes, then glanced up as he heard footsteps on the wooden floor. He saw Julia appear in the door to the living room, looking around.

"You're up early Cole…" She remarked. Cole groaned as he responded.

"I didn't sleep well last night, figured I'd stop trying when the sky started brightening."

Julia gave him a somewhat annoyed look. "Again? You know that's not good for you to stay up so late!"

Cole stared ahead. "Somebody has to. With the monsters moving further north, who knows what they're planning. I want to be ready in case we get involved."

Julia stared at the radio. "Any good news?"

Cole shook his head. "The buildup is continuing to increase. If they don't divert from their current path, they'll be right outside within a week or two."

Julia took a deep breath. "We've been preparing for this, remember? We knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the monsters came north. Look, I'm going to go into town and try to get some food. Specifically stuff we can quickly get in case we need to leave. Now for God's sakes, get some rest!"

Cole nodded. "You're right...you're right...alright, I'll get some rest." He stood up and walked upstairs. Julia shook her head as she watched him go, then turned to get her wallet. She took a look inside and shook her head. She didn't have much money left. Hopefully, they would be able to last until next week's paycheck.

Normally they were somewhat decent at managing their finances, but an unexpected cold had struck Cole a few days ago, forcing them to spend extra funds on cough medicine. Something like this, an average person could afford easily; for them, however, this was stretching their budget.

She threw on her jacket before walking outside the cabin, locking the door behind her as she stared up at the sun. She then walked around the side, taking one of the two bicycles and beginning the long ride down to the small town close by. It had been two years since the attacks of Red Dawn, and the annihilation of the Torin Republic on Black Thursday.

Cole and her had been lucky enough to find a small town about an hours walk west of the cabin they lived in. The town conveniently had a market that had bulk food in its inventory. On her first trip there, Julia had also decided to buy a map so they could figure out exactly where they were.

Much to their pleasant surprise, the cabin they now lived in had actually been just under a mile inside the borders of Niaca, and outside of the monster kingdom. A week later, Julia applied for refugee status. Two months after this, she was finally accepted; the office wasn't too happy with her illegal entry, but she was educated and there was a general sense of sympathy towards refugees from the monster kingdom. Initially, she had been receiving welfare payments every two weeks to cover only the most basic living necessities. Now that things had improved financially for them, the welfare payments had come to a halt.

Cole had joined her at the refugee application offices, and had also gotten his refugee status, although he had decided to leave out his past with the Torin Republic in his application. He reasoned that the fewer people knew about it, the better.

Julia had been lucky enough to snag an internship at the local water treatment plant. Her time studying at the Venzor College helped significantly for her to secure the position, although since she hadn't finished her degree she was still taking night classes at the community college. She had made the decision to get the food they would need for the week on Saturday's, since they were both off of work on weekends.

Cole had also managed to get a job at a small restaurant which he attended during week. He also had intentions of saving up to open his own grillhouse in the small town once tensions between the two nations had calmed down. It would also mean that he and Julia wouldn't have such a tiring commute every day. To make such a place possible, Cole had been putting in extra hours, sometimes working up to thirty extra hours per week. His boss had expressed pleasant surprise at Cole's seeming willingness to work.

On the rare occasions when Cole was not at the restaurant, he was hard at work bringing in firewood and water, so that they wouldn't have fees from utilities. This was especially important, since to pipe in water and gas to such a remote location would be very expensive. They had managed to buy a hunting rifle, which Cole always took on his weekly visits deeper into the forest. After all, there was wildlife everywhere, and not every creature would be friendly. Cole had only ever had to use it once, though he tried to be incredibly sparing. Bullets after all, were quite expensive.

Just over an hour later, Julia leaned the bike up against the wall of the market. She walked into the building, and went straight to the bulk food section. After picking out the usual choice of noodles and rice, she walked over to the register. The woman standing there smiled as she entered the products.

"That'll be seventeen dollars and fifty-seven cents."

After sliding the necessary payment across the counter, the woman took note of something.

"Looking a bit stressed there missy, is your brother alright?" The woman had seen Julia almost every time she had come in. All she had told him was that she lived alone with her brother, and preferred not to discuss further from there. She responded quickly.

"Yeah, he's fine."

The woman nodded, then offered. "You know, if you ever want, we'd be happy to have you and your brother over for dinner sometime. You know we've never really gotten to talk a whole lot apart from our conversations, you seem nice enough though." He chuckled, and Julia gave a polite smile.

"We're a bit busy at the present time, who knows, maybe sometime in the future. Thanks for the offer though." As she quickly took the bag and left, the woman waved.

"Anytime, see you later!"

Julia slung the grocery bag over her shoulder, before hopping back onto the bike. She made her way quickly out of the small town, and back along the lonely back trails of the woods. The people in the town had turned out to be very friendly, as often is the case in small communities. Still, her and Cole were perfectly content with remaining somewhat separate for now. Once she reached the makeshift marker Cole had made to find their house, she dismounted and pushed her bike into the thick of the woods.

As she reached the house, she unlocked the door and made her way inside, discovering a note had been left for her, and the hunting rifle they had in the kitchen was gone. She set the bag down and read the note.

"Hey Julia, I wasn't able to get to sleep, so I went out to get some more water and logs for firewood. May as well do something with the time, right? I'll be back by dinner. Love, Cole."

She shook her head, setting the note down. "I hope he gets a nap out there." She grumbled to herself. Ever since the monsters began the military buildup a couple months ago, Cole had been on edge, constantly staying up late, waking up early - in some cases like this morning, not sleeping at all. It didn't help that he was frequently coming home well past midnight, and getting up in the early hours of dawn, in order to sustain his long work weeks. She could tell his health was beginning to deteriorate, and she had even joked that she should purchase some sleeping medication. Of course, they didn't have the money to spare, unless she gave up necessities like food.

The guilt of his actions years ago still hung heavy on his shoulders, and ever since he had been doing everything he could to try and make them safe in their new home. This meant he felt that if he wasn't ever working, he just wasn't doing enough, despite Julia's reassurances. Still, she had been more than happy to help, and now she just hoped he would be able to stay safe.

* * *

Cole felt the cold water rush over his hand as he held the bucket in the water of the creek. The creek was a fair twenty minute walk away, but it was a necessary trip nonetheless. As he set the full bucket of water down beside him, he decided to sit back for a few moments and admire the scenery. The butt of the hunting rifle bumped against his back as it hung, his right shoulder in its sling.

He looked left, then did a double take as he saw movement. A deer had appeared only a few feet downstream, and he couldn't believe his luck. Deer were a rare sight in the region, and rarely had Cole managed to see one so close. He watched with a smile on his face as the deer leaned over to drink from the creek. It was such a peaceful creature, without a care in the world.

A branch snapped nearby, and the deer's head shot up, before bounding away. Cole's head snapped around as the smile vanished, looking for the source of the branch. He took the hunting rifle from his shoulder and readied it. It wouldn't be the first time he had encountered a bear or other predatory creature while he was out alone, and he had learned it was always a good idea to be prepared. He took aim at where he heard the branch, shouting out to make his presence known to any wildlife.

"Hey! Get out of here!" The figure behind the tree moved and revealed himself, and seeing the rifle, slowly put his hands up. Cole stared up in shock at who it was, as he looked into the eyes of Asriel Dreemurr.


	2. The Truth

Cole's shock quickly turned into anger as he stared down Asriel.

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

Asriel spoke calmly. "I know you're not exactly pleased to see me...just...let me explain myself, alright? I've been looking for you for a while." Cole was ready to shoot Asriel and end it there, but he also realized that Asriel would be taking a serious risk by seeking him out. Still, he needed further reassurance this wasn't a trap.

"How do I know you're not just trying to find out where we stay? Or if you're planning on getting us arrested again?"

Asriel looked at him earnestly. "For one, I can't actually legally take you into custody, considering we're in a different country. Actually, I'd be the one to be arrested, since I'm illegally crossing the border.. For another, if I did want to arrest you and your sister, I would be showing up with a lot more than just myself. Third, I'm taking a massive risk to cross into another country just for two people."

Cole searched his gaze, trying to search for anything that would betray Asriel. Finally, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, though he didn't lower the rifle.

"You have thirty seconds to explain to me why I shouldn't dust you right here."

Asriel quickly explained. "I can tell you what really happened with Chara. I can give you the truth."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"You deserve the truth after everything you've been through."

"_Like you ever cared before now." _The thought flashed through Cole's mind, and he was still hesitant. However, his nagging urge of curiosity to hear what Asriel was talking about won out in the end.

"Not out here, follow me." Asriel nodded and slowly followed Cole as he picked up the bucket, slinging the rifle back over his shoulder. Asriel was surprised Cole was able to find his way through the woods despite having no trail whatsoever. Then he reasoned that Cole must have lived in the area for a long time, he would know it like the back of his hand by now.

Twenty minutes later and the cabin came into view. Cole had taken Asriel in a particular path so that it would avoid the axe still embedded in the tree stump. He knew that Julia was back from seeing her bike leaning next to his by the house. He walked up the front stairs to the cabin, opening the door and walking in. He called out.

"Julia? You're going to want to see who's here!" Asriel heard footsteps approaching and soon Julia emerged.

"Cole! You're back earlier than-" She stopped cold when she saw who accompanied him.

"Cole...I'm going to go on a limb here and assume there's a reason for our...visitor?"

Asriel waved awkwardly and Cole replied. "I was hoping to get a decent one myself. Nobody else around but him though, so he should be fine. Besides, we're outside the kingdom. He doesn't have legal power here."

Julia nodded, and Asriel spoke reassuringly. "I understand the lack of trust from both of you...but I assure you, you'll want to hear what I have to say." The three walked to the kitchen table, sitting around it. Cole set the rifle down, but still kept it close to his side, something Asriel took note of.

"Well, let's hear it." Asriel was about to speak, then suddenly Cole changed the question.

"Actually, I want to first know how you managed to find us. We're not exactly in a city anymore."

Asriel explained. "Back home, I managed to get my hands on some satellite imaging. I discovered that there was something man-made, this cabin to be more precise, in the forest. So, I tried to pull a more recent image, and then saw that there had been movement. I reasoned that since you were trying to stay out of the way in hiding, this would be the best place to do it. So, I came looking. I've spent almost a week trying to get here."

"And now that you've looked us up, how many people know we're here? Or specifically, how good is your search documentation?"

Asriel blinked once. "Just me. I haven't told anybody you're here, and I've made sure to cover up my tracks. Thing is I sometimes go out on trips, my mother and father know this, so they hopefully won't be looking for me."

Cole looked into his eyes. "So, it must be fairly important if you spent that long trying to track us down. Well, you found us. So what do you want?"

Asriel took a deep breath. "As I told Cole earlier, I want to tell you the truth."

Julia frowned. "What truth?"

Asriel looked over. "The real story. The real reason Chara left the family. See, when I said Chara tried to murder my parents...that wasn't exactly true. In fact, it was completely made up. In fact, it never happened that way."

Cole's eyes narrowed. "Figured as much. What else do you have to say?"

Asriel looked down at the table. "Chara was adopted into the family by my father when she was young. That part is true. She was a model sibling, and we cared deeply about each other. For many years we didn't have a care in the world. One day, Chara overheard my father talking about a potential rebel uprising in one of the annexed states. It was then that she began to think that Asgore's rule was a bit harsh to the outside world. So, she confronted him. Asgore told her that what he was doing was necessary to maintain peace, and I thought that was the end of it. So, I continued on with my life. What I didn't know was that Chara didn't think it was the end. She went behind both mine, and Dad's backs, digging deeper into the history of the war and the years since then. One night she woke me up, and looked like she was in a panic. She started telling me these crazy stories of a massacre, a village burned to the ground, and a few others. I didn't want to believe her, or I might have been too tired to, all I remember is that I never believed her. She warned me that my father wasn't as kind as I thought he was. Then, she disappeared. For two years we searched for her, and found nothing. Then, she suddenly came back as the head of the Torin Republic. Over time we also realized that her commanders used to be leaders of other rebel cells. I believe that she managed to rally them under one flag, a flag that never saw success."

Cole took a deep breath. "Because I let you go."

Asriel's eyes were dark. "That's not the end of it. After Black Thursday and Chara's capture, I expected my father to offer her a second chance. He cared deeply for her as well when she was in the family. But he didn't! He had her killed like a traitor! After I saw that, I remembered her words from that night, so I decided to do some digging myself. Thankfully being royalty, I can access more secure areas without being questioned on it. Chara wasn't lying, Cole. During the war the monster army burned a whole village to the ground, and slaughtered every man, woman, and child! The strike was ordered by Asgore himself who claimed he thought it was a secret military outpost. There's been seven massacres ever since. The worst being in a riot that took place right in Kester. The official report claims that the humans struck first. The hidden report that I found though, stated otherwise. In fact, the humans ran away when monsters threatened to use violence, but they shot anyway! They killed over sixty people that day who were fleeing for their lives. As much as I hate to admit it, Chara was right. Asgore's got a much darker form of ruling than I ever imagined. Frankly, I want to have no part of it."

Cole's head tilted. "Tell me something I don't know. Most of us in the Republic were well aware of the atrocities, many of them had to witness them after all. I thankfully did not. Look, I fail to see what the point here is."

Asriel looked up. "I want to help overthrow my father. While we are family, I can't stand by and just watch as innocent people continued to be slaughtered under his boot."

Cole shook his head. "You'll have to look elsewhere."

Asriel was stunned. "What?! Why?!"

Cole shouted back. "Because if _you_ don't recall, the Torin Republic was completely destroyed! Most of its members have been killed, the rest are in prison! I'm the _only_ one I know of that managed to survive Black Thursday, because I wasn't there! For two years, we've been living our lives here in solitude, just trying to move on. And _right_ when we're starting to think things will have some semblance of going back to normal, _you_ show up and try to pull this stunt?! And furthermore, you expect me to _help_ you after what your kind did to us?!"

Asriel shot back. "What'll you do when Asgore invades Niaca?!"

Cole was silent, and Asriel knew he hit a nerve. "Let's face it Cole, we both know Asgore is planning to attack. I've heard him talking with his commanders myself! He's not going to back down. You're just under a mile from the border, it would take only hours for the military to find you!"

Cole spoke bitterly. "We have a plan for that."

Asriel scoffed. "And what is your plan? Try and fight? You would both be killed in minutes! Run away? That won't do you much good. The war would soon catch up with you no matter what. Face it Cole, you can't hide from this anymore."

Cole considered mentioning the Niacan military, but remained silent, and Julia was the one to respond. "Stay here Asriel. Cole, a word?"

Asriel nodded and leaned back in the chair. Cole stood up with Julia, and they walked into the hallway, where Cole asked.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?"

Julia sighed. "I'm...I'm siding with Asriel on this one."

Cole was even more shocked. "You're joking, right?"

Julia shook her head. "The way I see it, he's making a good point. Niaca is going to get invaded, and there are already rumours for mandatory evacuation, especially for people like us living so close to the border. I'm not sure if I have the strength really to be able to start all over again. We've worked so hard to rebuild here, why should we have to go and start elsewhere, especially if there's a chance we can make a difference here?"

Cole shook his head. "We just, can't. The Republic is gone. You know that as well as I do. How in the world are two of us going to make any kind of difference?"

Julia grinned. "Who says it has to be the two of you? Why don't you bring Asriel to Prime Minister Peterson, or I guess a local authority? I'm sure he'll be very interested to hear what Asriel has to say. He'll likely support you, especially with your background with the Republic."

Cole grunted. "Asriel can turn himself in for all I care."

Julia continued trying to reason with him. "But, the government might be more likely to listen if you were both together…"

Cole shook his head. "I don't know...I don't want to have to leave you again. The last time I went to war, you were dragged into the middle of things, even with you trying to stay out of it. It wasn't fair to you."

Julia stared earnestly at him. "I know that deep down, you wish you had chosen differently. Maybe, this is your second - and last - chance to make change happen! Besides, I know that Chara would have wanted you to take the opportunity."

Cole huffed, pressing his fingers against his temples before walking back to the kitchen, Julia in tow. Asriel looked up expectantly, and Cole sighed.

"It's still light enough out. I'm going to be bringing you down to the town to turn you in to Mayor Charlotte King. You can present your case to her."

Asriel nodded, but then asked. "What about you?"

Cole sighed. "I...I need time to think it over."

Asriel seemed understanding. "Of course, I can imagine it isn't an easy decision. If I may ask, when will we be departing?"

Cole glanced out the window. "Right now. Julia, is it fine if Asriel borrows your bike?"

Julia nodded, crossing her arms. "So long as he doesn't break it, yeah. Can't afford to make repairs."

Cole looked back to Asriel. "Alright, well let's go then." Julia leaned back against the wall, watching as the two left the cabin, the door clicking shut behind them.


	3. Defection

The autumn sun continued to slowly creep through the sky as Cole brought his bike to a stop atop a small hill overlooking the town. Asriel stopped beside Cole, looking down at the town below. Cole glanced up at Asriel.

"It might not be a very good idea for you to go into town. Considering how tense things are, they might take it the wrong way. You better stay here, I'll bring someone to you. Just in case though…" He took out his small phone, taking a picture of Asriel who blinked in surprise.

"What was that all about?"

Cole couldn't help but be somewhat amused at Asriel's surprise. "Proof that you're actually here. Now stay here, keep out of sight." Asriel nodded and pulled the bike off the trail. Cole set off again, riding down the hill and into the streets of the small town. He had been thinking as to what exact authority he would want to get.

"_The police? No, they would just try and arrest Asriel, and there would be war by morning. Better go right to the top." _He then realized, he had no idea where the mayor's home even was. He paused by a man on the sidewalk.

"Hey Franklin."

Franklin stopped and smiled welcomingly. "Oh, hello Cole! What are you doing in town? I thought you had Thursdays off!"

Cole shrugged. "Oh I do, just running an errand. Hey, by the way, I'm in need of directions, could you give me a hand?"

Franklin chuckled. "Depends where you want to go."

Cole asked, trying to sound casual. "Do you know where Mayor Charlotte's house is?"

Franklin smiled and pointed down the road. "Oh that's easy. You're going to turn right at the light up ahead, go down two blocks then turn left, her house should be the fourth on the right."

Cole nodded. "Got it. Thank you!"

Just as Cole was beginning to set off, Franklin called him back. "What do you need her for? You know how busy she is, right?"

Cole called over his shoulder. "I can't talk about it now, maybe another time!" He quickly set off before further questions could be asked.

One of the perks of being in a small town - most people knew where everybody else was, and were often willing to help. Cole set off again, following Franklin's directions to turn right at the light. Now he racked his mind, trying to think of exactly how he would get Charlotte to go to where Asriel was. Just five minutes later he parked his bike in front of the fence surrounding the house.

"_This must be the place…"_ He thought to himself as he dismounted, pushing open the gate and walking up to the door. He took a breath and rang the doorbell, waiting for an answer. He heard footsteps from inside and when the door opened, he was greeted by a dark haired woman, who appeared to be in her late thirties. She wore casual clothing, although looked like she had just recently returned from work. In the background, Cole heard a television news report mumbling along.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked with a friendly smile. Cole nodded.

"Are you mayor Charlotte King?"

The woman nodded. "The one and only."

Cole continued to think of what to say next. "There's somebody that really needs to speak with you, it's urgent."

Charlotte still held her friendly look. "Oh? May I ask what it's regarding, and more importantly who this person is?"

Cole nodded. "I can't tell you the what, only the who. It's Prince Asriel Dreemurr, son of the king Asgore Dreemurr? I'm sure you've heard of him."

Charlotte's smiled disappeared. "Look, as much as I enjoy pranks, this isn't a very good one, or in good taste."

Cole persisted. "It's no joke. Here…" He took out the phone and showed her the picture he took less than half an hour ago. Charlotte's eyes widened as she saw it. Cole quickly moved to reassure her.

"He's all alone, the king and queen don't know he's here. I've made sure of it."

The woman looked back up in amazement. "Where is he?"

Cole explained. "We figured it wouldn't be a good idea for him to just wander around in the open, so he's waiting just outside town. I rode here on my bike."

Charlotte nodded again. "I see...well, I'll see him at once. You can throw your bike into the trunk of my car and we'll drive out there, it'll be quicker. Give me a few moments, I'll get my car out of the garage."

As Charlotte left to get her car keys, Cole returned to the bike. As soon as Charlotte had driven the car to the curb, he popped open the trunk and lifted the bike inside before closing it, climbing into the backseat of the car. As they set out, Cole began to briefly explain what was going on.

"Ah, just head straight this way, and take a left at Kinsal Street. Prince Asriel's said he's wanting to in a way defect from the royal family. He says he knows that war is completely inevitable. On the way here he told me he even knows what date the invasion will happen on, and what they'll be targeting first. That's why he's taken the risk of crossing the border into Niaca. Yeah, just the left here."

Charlotte nodded as she followed his continuous directions. "That's an interesting move to say the very least...If did he say anything else? Anything about a need to evacuate?"

Cole nodded. "No recommendations about evacuation that he's told me, but he had a lot of other interesting things to say. I'll let him explain it to you, he knows the details better than me. Uh, turn right onto that dirt road by the oak tree."

"Of course, of course. By the way, you have been keeping up with the town evacuation plans, right? I know you live quite a bit out of the way so not all of it applies to you."

"Yeah. My sister and I are planning to just go straight to the designated escape roads and getting picked up by the bus instead of meeting at the town muster point, since the road passes by closer. I've already mapped out the trail we'd need to travel, and we've both made special kits with necessities for a few days. I imagine though there's a lot more planning as the town mayor, though!"

Charlotte chuckled. "Actually, there's surprisingly little paperwork. When the old Empire of Chodora capitulated, there was a lot of worry that Niaca was next, so we drew up a lot of evacuation plans and protocols. There hasn't been much change since, mainly just some updating of names and the such. Say, is that the prince ahead?"

Cole affirmed her question, and Charlotte brought the car to a stop and climbed out with Cole, he quickly spotted Asriel leaning against a tree. Asriel stood up straighter when he saw them. He looked into Charlotte's eyes solemnly as the two stared at each other. Charlotte shook her head in amazement.

"Well I'll be...it really is you!"

Asriel sighed. "I wish we could be meeting under different circumstances, what I have to say though is of the utmost importance."

Charlotte folded her arms. "Well, your highness, it's an understatement to say you've got my attention."

Asriel began at once. "It's about my father, King Asgore. The military buildup isn't just a move to threaten you, it's preparation. There's an imminent war on the way, and I want to aid in any way I can to stop it."

Charlotte took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm pretty sure we all knew that war is going to happen, your highness, just no one is really willing to say it out loud. In any case, I imagine you'll probably want to speak to the Prime Minister, not some random small town mayor like me. I should get our police cruiser over here and bring you to the police station; you can stay there for the next few hours while I get in contact with Peterson. I'm certain he'll be quite interested in this."

Asriel nodded. "Thank you, and please, just call me Asriel."

Charlotte nodded, before turning around and dialing a number to the local police chief. "Hey Roger, it's me. I need you to get one of the squad cars up on the ridge just east of the town. No no, the other one, I need the tinted windows, only you in the car. Keep it on the down-low, I'll explain when you get here...thank you...yeah, goodbye."

While they waited for Roger to arrive, Charlotte immediately called another number.

"Jonathan, hi. It's Charlotte, the mayor of Falkirk. Listen, I need a huge favour. I want you to make a call for me, directly to the Prime Minister. It's about Asgore's movements. ...No, I haven't seen scouting parties, it's just - long story short, I've got Prince Asriel here with me, he says he wants to help… Yes I'm sure it's him, I'm standing right in front of him! Yes, I know it's after hours, but can you just make an exception this one time? You know I wouldn't ever ask you to do this unless it was important and I assure you this is of national importance. ...Thanks. I owe you one." She then hung up, taking a deep breath, and looked to Asriel.

"That was Jonathan Raines; he's the governor of the province. He's going to put a call to Art Peterson to try and get you an audience with him."

Asriel nodded. "Thank you Ms. King." They continued to wait, and minutes later the sound of tires on gravel could be heard coming up the road. Another moment later, and a police car drove up into view, coming to a stop. An older man climbed out and stared in shock at Asriel.

"Well I never...you sure about this?"

Charlotte nodded. "We just need to get him to the police station without leaking that he's here. If the press found out, they'd have a field day with this. From there, King Asgore would likely find out, and that would be it."

Roger nodded. "Wise choice."

Asriel walked towards the car and Roger opened up the back door, the tinted windows hiding most of Asriel's face. Cole nodded to Charlotte.

"I need to be getting back to my sister, thanks for the help."

Charlotte nodded again. "No, thank you for getting in touch with me. Now, I need to get going - say hi to your sister for me!"

Cole quickly ran to get his bike out of the trunk of Charlotte's car, then watched as the two vehicles drove away. Only when they were out of sight did he turn around. He found Julia's bike close by to where Asriel was standing. He then began the climbed back onto his bike, using one hand to pull Julia's with him as he began the ride home. The sun had almost completely set by the time he arrived. Julia opened the door as she saw him approach.

"How'd it go?" She queried as Cole leaned the bikes against the cabin again before walking inside.

"About as well as it could have. Mayor Charlotte's was trying to get in touch with Peterson when I left, there's a chance they're already talking by now."

Julia nodded. "I see. What about you?"

Cole was confused. "What do you mean?"

Julia gave an exasperated sigh. "You know what I mean. Did you make your decision to help or not?"

Cole shook his head. "No, I haven't. No offense Julia, but you don't know how difficult it was sometimes to be in a fighting force back there. Actually, I don't even know, since I was kept out of most of the action since I was a misinformant, and that was tiring enough."

Julia nodded slowly. "None taken...look Cole, I don't doubt it was hard. But sometimes we need to make difficult choices."

Cole groaned. "Can you just give me some more time?"

A small sense of urgency crept into Julia's voice. "We might not have much time left."

Cole closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them. "Tomorrow morning. I'll make my mind up then. Promise."

Julia smiled softly. "Thank you. Now please. Get. Some. Rest. You didn't get any last night and it's been a very long day."

Cole chuckled. "Alright, I can take a hint. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Julia shook her head, keeping her smile as she watched Cole retire to his room.


	4. Counterattack

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_

**This is a re-upload of chapter 4, there have been several changes made to the chapter and its context.**

* * *

Cole woke with a start at the sharp pounding of the front door, just audible through the cabin. It was still pitch black outside, so he sat up, groggily getting out of bed. As he began to walk for the door, he suddenly realized that it may be monsters at his doorstep. He instantly quieted his footsteps. He heard Julia's voice speak behind him.

"Cole?...What's going on?" She yawned as she spoke, and Cole put a finger to his lips, speaking quietly.

"Shh...I'm not sure...stay here for a moment…" He picked up the rifle, readying it towards the door as he moved to one of the windows. Again there was a fierce pounding against the door, and a gruff voice spoke from outside.

"Federal agents! Mr. Nelson, we need you to come to the door!" He peeked around the curtain, and he could just barely see through the thin fabric that there were two men standing on the front door, both holding flashlights illuminating the darkness. He sighed in relief. At least they weren't monsters. Setting the rifle down he walked to the door and opened it wide, speaking crossly.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Our apologies Mr. Nelson". One of the men produced identification. "I am agent Donovan, from the Domestic iNvestigation Department, or the DND. This is my colleague, agent Robert. We have orders directly from Prime Minister Peterson to bring you in."

Cole was dumbfounded. "Right now? It's two in the morning!"

Donovan kept a professional tone. "The matter is very urgent, Mr. Nelson. If it weren't, we'd be knocking about six hours from now, and believe me when I say I asked."

Suddenly Julia appeared at the door beside Cole. "What's going on here? We have the right to know why Cole is being detained."

Donovan turned to Julia. "Ma'am, Mr. Nelson is not being detained. All I can say is that this is a matter of national security, and for that reason we cannot disclose the reason Mr. Nelson's presence is requested to you at this time."

Julia didn't back down. "Considering all that we've been through together, anything that's Cole's business, is my business. So if you're taking him in, you're taking both of us in." Cole looked over, surprised at Julia's sudden temper, but was grateful that it was present. He knew that whenever Julia was in this mood, if she wanted something done, it would get done no matter what.

Donovan pressed on, however. "Ma'am, although I am sure you two have a very strong relationship, it is of utmost importance that the information that will be shared with Mr. Nelson is kept secret, and the first step of doing so is reducing the number of people who are listening."

At this point, Robert nudged Donovan. "Eh, drop the issue Don; our first priority was to get Mr. Nelson back as early as possible, and we can't waste our time like this. Ms. Nelson, you can come; for now I won't promise that you can participate in the meeting. I can ask Peterson for permission on the way there, but if he doesn't yield we'll find a room for you at the base. Again, I want you both to know that this is not an arrest, it's because the PM wants to speak with Mr. Nelson personally."

Cole exchanged a curious glance with Julia before following the two agents out of the house. They followed them to the dirt road about ten minutes walk away from the cabin, where a black jeep was waiting for them. Cole and Julia both climbed in the back, and the car set off. Robert pressed a pair of earplugs into each of Cole and Julia's hands. "If you want to doze off, go ahead. We'll wake you if you need to get out."

Forty minutes later they were pulling up at a grassy field on the outskirts of Falkirk. There, a small two-engined plane was waiting. The jeep parked just off of the field, and Cole and Julia were escorted to the small plane. Immediately after sitting down the plane's engines roared to life, and seconds later the aircraft lurched forward. Cole looked out the window as the plane took flight, flying much lower over the moonlit landscape than a normal passenger plane. As he watched the trees fly past beneath, he found himself slowly drifting back asleep.

* * *

Cole jolted awake as the plane touched down on the runway of a small military outpost. He turned to Roberts, who sat beside him.

"How long was I out for?"

Roberts checked his watch. "Little over half an hour." Cole nodded, looking forward again as the plane brought to a stop, and the door opened. As Cole and Julia stepped down, they both looked around in amazement. There seemed to be a lot of commotion. There were several men in formal suits, which Cole assumed to be other federal agents like Donovan. There were soldiers everywhere, moving in small groups around the camp. Also of note were several artillery cannons attached to trucks. It could only be described as organized chaos. Donovan spoke to Julia as they waited at the steps of the plane.

"I've managed to arrange for you to be present in the meeting, however due to the nature of the discussion, it is requested you do not partake in the discussion."

Julia smiled. "Understood. Thank you."

Another jeep drove up to the bottom of the steps, and Julia and Cole stepped into the backseat. The jeep took them on a short drive to the other end of the camp. Soon, they approached a large meeting tent. When the car was brought to a stop, Robert opened the door for Cole, while Donovan opened Julia's. One of the other federal agents quickly searched Cole and Julia, before he pushed a flap aside for Cole. Julia followed Cole inside.

As Cole entered, the first two things he saw was Art sitting in a chair behind the table, and Asriel sitting in a chair across from him. There was a second chair next to Asriel, and Cole took his seat. Julia found an empty chair and sat down a couple feet away. Standing behind Art were two soldiers. Art looked to Cole, and gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Julia before speaking.

"Mr. Nelson, thank you for joining us. I do apologize for the late, or rather, early hour; I do hope you can understand my position here.

Asriel shrugged to Cole and spoke quietly. "Sorry, I had no idea they were going to come looking for you."

Cole sighed, and then spoke again. "I think I can understand why sir. May I ask why I've been brought here?"

Art responded. "Yes, you can. It's come to my attention you were once a member of the Torin Republic, the old resistance group that collapsed on Black Thursday. Is that correct?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Not for very long, only a couple months if memory serves me right."

Art replied. "Yes, this is what Prince Asriel has just informed me of. May I confirm what your role in the Republic was?"

Cole leaned back in his chair as he recalled his earlier days in the republic again. "Originally I was going to be a fighter. However when I was arrested and imprisoned underneath Mount Ebott, I was approached by King Asgore with a deal. If he would break me out of prison, I would return to the Republic and become his informant. I agreed, but went back on the deal and became a double agent, providing misinformation."

Art nodded. "Good. Now that that's out of the way, allow us to explain what this meeting is about. Asriel has informed us that King Asgore Dreemurr plans to invade in…" He checked his watch. "...147 hours, and in face of this we were planning our strategy."

"Specifically, a counter-invasion." Asriel added on.

Art straightened. "Correct. Asgore will be expecting resistance when he invades, but now that Asriel has provided us with detailed attack plans, he will not be prepared for the level of organization we are now capable of. He would expect even less so a counter-invasion. General Holmes, you have exact details?"

Cole looked up as one of the bearded men nodded, and walked to a map pinned to a mobile stand. The man held an authoritative stance, and had both hands clasped behind his back. His formal green shirt held several medals on it, and he had holstered pistol bumping against his hip. Cole figured that this must be General Holmes. He looked closely as the man picked up a presentation pointer, tapping a map on the stand.

"According to Asriel, King Asgore is planning to attack through the plains on the eastern half of the border of annexed Chodora, with an armada of tanks and close air support to overrun our current defenses. We plan to allow them to overextend their forces, before launching a flanking attack through the forest to surround the invading force. This group will be supported by a number of elite paratroopers, who will secure and cut off major supply routes quickly, and set up preliminary defenses as our main force catches up on land. From there, we plan on making our way down to Kester, and reclaiming it. After this, we will have a sufficient array of strongholds and choke points to allow us to reorganize and plan for an invasion into the monster kingdom."

Art interrupted. "For this first stage, Cole, you will be an important asset. First, you know the area of Kester and its surroundings much better than us, and can provide us with important tactical information. But the second, is far more important."

Art's voice took on a more solemn undertone. He looked away, stood up, and started pacing. "Although you may not be aware, the Niacan government has had close ties with the Torin Republic and its resistance efforts. We strongly disapproved of the monster government and its censored atrocities, and were aware of the potential for further aggression from them. Thus, when we were made aware of a resistance movement, we aimed to help them overthrow the monster tyrants. We supplied the Torin Republic with funding and munitions, and they in turn served as our informants. We believed that the Torin Republic had strong roots, and therefore found no need to send separate spies to the monster kingdom and potentially reveal our actions. What we didn't realize however was that the Republic relied heavily on inside information, something you could provide. When you disappeared shortly after Red Dawn, the Republic from what we've discovered had to rely on other sources. Prince Asriel told us that they managed to recruit one of Asgore's advisors who planned on defecting. However, this new informant was quickly discovered and has since been disappeared. This is why the Republic was so unprepared for Black Thursday."

"After the events of Black Thursday, the leadership of the Torin Republic was wiped out, and with it our points of contact. With the associated tightening of the border, we could not risk re-establishing an undercover presence. However, we are aware that the Republic still exists, although dormant." Cole flinched at this, although it was evident that he was trying to keep a straight face.

Art continued. "Cole, you've worked with the leadership of the Republic, and I suspect that you know, better than many others, the protocol for loss of communication with leadership. It culminates with fleeing to the nearest safehouse and awaiting further instruction. However, with the chain of command wiped out at the top, there is now a hidden network of sleeper agents across the monster kingdom, with all keys to them lost - except for, perhaps, you, Mr. Nelson. Having worked directly with the leader of the resistance for so long, I would not be surprised if you had the secret codes to reactivate the sleeper agents. This network could provide us with an overwhelming tactical advantage."

Cole's expression tensed a tiny fraction. But Art was observant, and narrowed his eyes. After a pause, he took a seat, stared into Cole's eyes, and continued.

"So, I'm going to have to ask you again. Are you willing to help us? The war will be bloody, and we'll need all the help we can get."

Cole took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he thought. He found himself thinking about Julia. She was the last family he had left, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to leave her again. To go to war would mean having to leave her behind. He wasn't sure if it was worth the risk. Then there were the remnants of the Republic. As far as he knew, he had been branded as a traitor. Even if he managed to find the sleeper agents in hiding, what would they think when they saw him? He knew all too well how quickly things could turn south.

On the other hand, he desperately wanted to get back at the monsters for everything they had done. They had taken everything. His parents, his home, and now they had destroyed the one thing that had given him hope - the Torin Republic. To go would be allowing for hope to be restored.

Finally, he made up his mind. "Alright, I'll help you fight in the war. But, only if I can be a part of the invading force. If I'm going to contribute, I want to feel like I'm doing more this time."

Art frowned. "But, you are! By being our informant you're not only a member of the invasion, but a key part to making it succeed."

Cole shook his head. "Not like that. I want to be able to actually fight. I want to be on the front lines."

Art nodded slowly. "I think I understand. Mr. Nelson, understand that you are vital for this invasion to work. Being on the front lines is not a glorious gesture of bravery or a noble display of sacrifice - it is a slaughterhouse, where life is snuffed out for little reason. If I put you on the front lines now, you will be putting your emotions in front of reason, and potentially dooming the attack - a mistake you will not want to make twice." Cole stiffened, and Julia couldn't help but give the slightest of cringes as she tried to imagine Cole's thoughts.

"I just can't risk you being on the front lines before we've taken Kester. However...after Kester is firmly in our control, then the matter can be put on the table for further discussion. Deal?"

Cole took only a split second to decide. "Deal."

Art cracked the smallest of smiles. "Lovely. Well, it's been a pleasure, the both of you. Prince Asriel, and Mr. Nelson, I'll let you finalize the details with General Holmes. " Asriel and Art shook hands, then Art made his leave. Cole stood up to stretch his legs, but Asriel's voice stopped him.

"I can't thank you enough for what you're doing."

Cole scowled at Asriel. "I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Chara."

Asriel slowly nodded. "I understand...I do hope that your view will brighten with time on monsters. I know that my father speaks for the monster kingdom, but truthfully there are some monsters that don't agree with his actions. Though nobody will dare say so and incite his wrath."

Cole scoffed, then turned around and walked outside for some fresh air. Helpful or not, Asriel was still a monster. He couldn't deny that he still had his doubts about Asriel's integrity in all of this. Only time would tell.

Julia followed him outside. She looked anxious.

"So...you're going to war?"

Cole sighed. "It looks that way. I'll be thinking of you...alright?"

Julia took a deep breath. "Just...be careful, alright?"

Cole nodded. "I will, don't worry. It'll be fine. We've got a higher chance of winning this time since we've got the Niacan military backing us up. I believe we can do it!"

Julia tilted her head. "You know I was listening too." She cast a quick glance around her to make sure no one was listening. "The Niacan government was backing up the Torin Republic then as well, and look at where they are now."

Cole rested his head on his hand, and stared past Julia. "Perhaps so. But… it is said that in a game of cat and mouse, the mouse always wins, for while the cat runs for food, the mouse runs for life. Perhaps, with the fall of the Torin Republic, Niaca has joined the game as a mouse."

Julia nodded, then stood aside to let Cole disappear back into the tent to begin planning further with Asriel and General Holmes. As she watched them go, she still had a nagging feeling. While the war had a higher chance of succeeding, war always came with a cost. She couldn't help but feel like the price might just be too high.


	5. Treason

Lawrence looked to the soldiers beside him as the plane approached its target. It was eerily quiet inside, since the plane's engines had been shut off to prevent suspicion, and the only sound was the air rushing past outside. A buzzer sounded and a green light lit up. The group stood up and faced the opening bay door of the aircraft. A second buzzer sounded, and the team took a running start, leaping out of the plane. The soldiers kept close formation as they rapidly fell from the sky. Lawrence looked at the dim screen of the radar monitor on his forearm, using it to help guide him down to the landing zone. The sun had yet to fully rise, and he couldn't risk landing even a foot off target.

Just over 1,000 feet above the ground, Lawrence jerked the string, and a dark black and blue parachute opened above him. He kept a tight circle as he descended towards the small clearing in the trees. He hit the ground and took a few steps forward to allow the chute to settle behind him. Quickly he gathered it up and tucked it away, before cocking his assault rifle, making for the rendezvous. Gunfire and artillery shells could be heard in the distance.

Just four days prior the monsters had launched their invasion, just as Asriel had promised. To prevent resistance, the Niacan military gave fiercer resistance than the monsters anticipated, and the invading forces' progress had been slow at first. Still, the Niacan military had allowed for them to push them back, and Falkirk fell by nightfall. For four days the monsters had pushed the Niacan military back. Asriel continued to advise of what Asgore's next moves would be, and he had not failed so far.

Now, the counter-invasion was underway. Lawrence was a member of the 31st airborne division in the military, part of an elite paratrooper squadron. He recalled from earlier the briefing by General Holmes himself.

"Prince Asriel's really come through. The monsters had made significant progress, but to maintain their speed they've left a lot of the heavier machinery has been left behind, and their supply routes have been stretched significantly. There are several main roads they've been using to transport supplies to the front. Your mission will be to parachute in behind enemy lines, secure those roads, and hold them against attack as reinforcements arrive. We know that Asgore won't be expecting it, so there's a high probability of this working. Gentlemen, we have one shot at this. Make it count."

Lawrence stopped running as he spotted movement, seeing two other soldiers from his unit approaching. From the right, a few more were visible. In moments, all members in the unit were present right next to the dirt road. The captain of the unit looked to each of them in turn before he spoke.

"Seventeen...eighteen. Alright, this is the place. The next patrol should be coming by in exactly ten minutes from now. Get to your positions alongside the road, but wait until the convoy has nearly passed before we attack. If we can get them from behind, we stand a better chance."

Immediately the soldiers once again split up, moving to their pre-calculated vantage points by the road. Lawrence scrambled up a short tree, using the branches to hide himself. After finding a safe perch, he could only sit and wait, staring up the road. Time seemed to crawl, and every crack of a gun, or low rumble of an explosion made his finger twitch. Soon, a distant sound of wheels on dirt could be heard, and the rumbling engines that accompanied them. The convoy came into view, right on time. He glanced up, just spotting one of the soldiers in a tree across from him readying something. Lawrence fished a grenade out of his backpack, and slipped his finger into the loop of the pin. He glanced at the grenade. It wasn't an ordinary explosive.

Ever since the first war between humans and monsters, the Niacan government had shifted magic research towards a more militaristic focus. Just half a year prior to Asgore's invasion, there was finally a breakthrough. The top minds in the nation managed to integrate conventional explosives with a magical energy absorption mechanism, allowing the creation of a grenade that was extremely powerful, yet with a low blast radius. Lawrence had never seen it in action, but he knew from other reports that it worked. Most of the time at least.

Just as the convoy was about through, he pulled the pin and lobbed it in front of one of the trucks. One of the monsters walking beside the truck saw the grenade land in front of them and instantly yelled.

"GRENADE! GET DO-" He was cut off as the grenade exploded, turning four of the soldiers to dust instantly. Immediately after two more explosions followed from elsewhere in the convoy as other paratroopers threw their own grenades. The force of the explosions shoved one of the transport trucks off the road, overturning it. Yet, the explosions were never wider than the road itself, and the explosions emitted a bright blue glow from them.

Immediately the other paratroopers opened fire on the convoy. At first they seemed to be making headway, as the monsters were seemingly being overwhelmed. Then he spotted a monster climb onto the back of a truck, behind a mounted gun. Dust was scattered from the seat as the soldier took the controls. The soldier aimed it for the tree across from Lawrence, and he could only watch as blasts of magic shot from the turret, exploding against the tree. Thinking fast, Lawrence fired a quick shot at the turret before jumping down from his perch, just before a wave of magic slammed into the tree, shattering it instantly.

Evidently, he must've missed - the magic gun kept firing. He quickly ducked down, trying to avoid the new onslaught from the turret. Suddenly, the fire stopped, and in the respite of the fire he aimed his rifle at the gun, only to see that one of the other paratroopers had already dusted the monster from one of the last vantage points still standing. With the turret out of the way, the rest of the monsters saw that they had little hope, and began to flee into the woods. The paratroopers didn't bother shooting at the monsters trying to escape - there was no need to waste their limited ammunition. After doing a final check of the area, the captain looked at the turret. He hopped into the seat and turned it towards one of the remaining trucks, trying to fire it. Yet, nothing happened. Standing up, he shrugged.

"Must be built in such a way that only a monster using magic can operate it. Might be useful if we can find a way to make it so we can use it too. Private Clarkson?" One of the paratroopers from nearby glanced up.

"You're good with mechanical stuff, yeah? Try to see if you can make this thing work for us."

The soldier sprinted over immediately, and looked it over. "I'll see what I can do, sir."

Lawrence wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. Despite the small setback, this road was safely back in Niacan hands. He could only hope the other divisions had succeeded as well.

* * *

Asgore walked into the war room, where Undyne waited anxiously for him. He had gotten word that something had gone wrong with the invasion earlier that morning, and now he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Talk to me Captain, what happened?"

Undyne spoke immediately. "Remember how we encountered stronger resistance than we anticipated when we launched the invasion?"

Asgore nodded. "I recall it. What about it?"

Undyne looked grim. "Well after the initial strike, resistance dropped back and we were able to sweep through the nation, as you said we'd be able to do. However, it seems we've been played like a fiddle."

Asgore's eyes narrowed. "...How so?"

Undyne pointed to a map. "These three supply routes have been completely overrun, as reported by some attacked convoys. We've lost contact with two others as well. The remaining ones have halted convoy movement and are on high alert, but this represents a significant reduction in our logistics capability."

Asgore was shocked. "How the hell did that happen?!"

Undyne tried to explain. "Extremely well coordinated strikes. Niaca has attacked convoys moving along the roads, and have blocked and fortified the captured locations. We believe the soldiers must have parachuted in - there's no way that any ground troops would've went unnoticed for this long. Recon parties sent to investigate discovered fresh barricades have been set up. Small AA guns have been set up; we're not sure though how effective they'd be but I'd advise against trying to find out. We tried to retake one of the roads with a mismatch of soldiers, but they're just too well prepared, and we frankly weren't anticipating this move. We'd need a proper, organized attack in order to succeed at recapture. There doesn't seem to be an easy way around, either. For the west road there's just too much woods, and the other routes have bridges and other terrain that, while easy to move supplies across, are likely rigged to either blow, or they'll have defenses beyond to bottleneck us."

Asgore interrupted. "Hold on - you said they parachuted in? What the hell has our air force been doing? Or the anti-aircraft guns set up along the forest edge?"

Undyne grimaced. "We're not entirely certain at this point, but we have a guess. Yesterday, there was a 12 minute loss of signal at three adjacent radar stations located about here." She pointed at the map, near the location of the attacks. "Events like this are uncommon but not unheard of - usually, they're caused by some technical issue or other, and like every other time this has happened, we quickly received a confirmation signal from the working crew - or so it seems. A group of soldiers sent to check in received hostile fire before fully reaching the station, and we suspect that the Niacan military has overtaken these stations. If they did, there'd be a narrow corridor that they could've slipped into our airspace from. In response we've set up more radar stations nearby, and are putting into place a more robust reporting system, so they can't play this trick twice."

Asgore breathed out heavily. "Hm. Going back, now that the main supply roads are cut, what about the railroads? Can they sustain our logistics needs?"

Undyne winced at the mention of the railroad. She wanted nothing more than to shrink into her armour and not have to see the look on Asgore's face.

"We checked the railway lines to see if it could provide an alternative, but... it seems that the tracks have been bombed at multiple locations, likely around the same time as the attacks on the supply roads. We learned this the hard way - a train full of reinforcements derailed, and most of the soldiers have dusted. We never discovered this though until a survivor of the attack managed to restore contact with us. There's a team out there right now making improvised repairs, but it'll take at least a week before they're back up to full capacity."

Asgore slammed his fist against the table, making Undyne jump slightly. "Damn it! Our troops can't fight on without supplies like this!"

Undyne spoke again. "I fear for worse, your highness - it seems like they're going to be surrounded and captured. This to me doesn't look like an ordinary counter-attack. It's too well organized. Not to mention they knew exactly where, and when our convoys were going to be going through. Every convoy has scouting and decoy parties that scour the road twenty minutes ahead. When we contacted the ones for the ambushed convoys, though, they didn't see anything - and reports from the convoys suggest that the Niacan ambushers weren't so well hidden that they would've been unnoticed. The only possibility is that the attacking force landed in the tiny twenty minute window between the scouts and the main convoy. They had to have had access to the convoy scheduling."

Asgore nodded in agreement. "To pull these attacks off, they would have needed to know a lot more than they should. We have to have a mole in our top ranks. But who…"

His eyes darkened as he thought of something. "I need to make a call to Asriel. I want him back here and giving his input on the situation."

Undyne nodded as he stepped outside, and took out his phone. He first called Asriel's cell, and tried calling it. But, it went straight to voicemail. This was highly unusual. Still, Asgore decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Asriel had told him when he left he was going to be going up to a small little town to stay at a hotel there for a couple weeks. He called the hotel Asriel was supposed to be staying at.

"King Asgore! Thank you for calling Sunset Inns, how may I be of service today, your majesty?"

Asgore spoke calmly. "Hi, can you please put me on the phone with the prince, Asriel Dreemurr? He should've checked in a week and a half ago."

The woman on the other end was silent, then sounded confused as she responded. "I'm sorry your highness, but your son never checked in. He doesn't even have a reservation here!" Asgore tried to maintain his composure.

"I see. Well, thank you anyway for your time."

The woman sounded apologetic. "No problem, sorry again!" He then hung up. Without putting the phone down, he called the number of the driver Asriel always had when he left the capital. As soon as the monster picked up, Asgore didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Listen, before you say anything, I need to express that it is important I get a truthful answer. Did you drive Asriel anywhere in the past ten days? If so, I need to know the _exact_ location you sent him."

The driver again was apologetic. "I'm sorry your highness, but I haven't driven Prince Asriel anywhere! I haven't even spoken to him in the past ten days. Is something wrong?"

Asgore's grip tightened on the phone and he gritted his teeth. "...No. Everything is fine." He immediately hung up, as a revelation burned within him. Still, he refused to believe it. Out of desperation, he called the airline Asriel claimed to be flying on.

"Thank you for calling Ebott Airlines! Your highness, it's an honor as always to receive a call from you. How can we help you today?"

Asgore spoke quickly, his voice betraying his desperation. "I need you to pull up the passenger list for flight EBT4891, that departed on October 10th. Was Asriel Dreemurr on that plane?"

The voice replied. "Of course, one moment sire." There was silence, and then an apologetic voice returned. "I'm sorry your highness, I'm not seeing anything here under the prince's name, or anyone from the royal family."

Asgore took a deep breath before responding. "Alright...thank you anyway." He hung up, then walked back into the war room. Undyne noticed how upset Asgore was.

"Sire?"

Asgore growled. "I want the troops in Niaca, and here at home to focus on finding Asriel. If he is sighted, he is to be arrested at once."

Undyne was stunned. "On what charge?"

As Asgore turned to leave, he barked over his shoulder. "Espionage, and high treason! He's our mole!" Undyne's jaw nearly hit the ground as Asgore stormed out. Asgore felt a wave of emotions. Anger, fury, even rage, but beneath it all, a deep layer of hurt.

"Of all the people, my son...why did it have to be you?"


	6. In Our Sights

"We begin this morning with updates on the war against the monster kingdom, and King Asgore. After elite paratrooper divisions severed supply lines to the monster armies no more than a week ago, many of the soldiers have surrendered from lack of supplies. With the enemy push forward halted, the Niacan army has worked hard day and night to push back the invaders, and has seen great success up and down the front. Now, the military has entered annexed Chodora as of last liberating the township of Falkirk, and the city of Migeeto. The Niacans have been met with little resistance. At the current speed of the invasion, General Logan Holmes has stated he expects to have liberated Kester within the next few weeks."

* * *

Cole slid the backpack onto his shoulders, and secured the buckle on the camouflage bulletproof helmet he wore. It had been just over two weeks now since Asriel had first warned of the impending invasion, and already the Niacans were pushing back into Chodora. Cole needed little combat training from his experience with the Torin Republic, and his military uniform had been granted to him. As he slung the backpack over his shoulder, he spotted Julia standing by, watching him. Sighing he turned and walked over to his sister, and the two shared a hug. Cole murmured quietly.

"I'm coming back...I promise you I'm coming back."

Julia's voice shook as she responded. "Please be careful Cole...I don't know if I can afford to lose you too. Please, for the love of god promise me you'll be as careful as you can."

Cole nodded. "I promise I'll be as careful as possible. I'll contact you as often as I can to let you know I'm alright."

Julia nodded. He then spotted Asriel walking towards him, and looked like he too wished to speak with Cole. Cole looked at Julia as he let her go.

"I love you."

Julia sniffed. "I love you too." Cole then left her to go to Asriel. Asriel glanced to the truck loading the rest of the men in Cole's unit, and he sighed.

"So, this is really happening then?"

Cole nodded. "Sure is. You know I'll be honest, I never imagined I would be getting back into the fight. I always thought I'd just try and live my life out in peace. But, life has a way of pulling you where you don't want to go, doesn't it."

Asriel nodded. "Amen. Listen Cole...I know you and I don't see eye to eye on everything, but I want to thank you for what you're doing. It's not easy to go to war, especially when you've already been kicked down by one."

Cole sighed. "We all have to make a choice, right? I made mine the moment I picked that rifle up in Kester two years ago. ...What about you? What are you going to do?"

Asriel looked over. "I've been assigned to stay here and continue to give insight on Asgore's actions."

Cole chuckled sarcastically. "So you're going to hide."

Asriel looked cross. "We all have a role to play Cole. Nobody knows my father better than me. It makes sense from a strategic standpoint to have me here."

Cole shook his head. "Yeah, you tell yourself that. Look, I appreciate you for helping out. But you won't have my full respect until I see you on the battlefield."

Asriel watched as Cole immediately left, walking to the truck and climbing in with the other soldiers. Asriel found himself tucking his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. He turned and began to walk away, mixed thoughts flying through his mind.

* * *

Cole walked towards the briefing tent in the temporary camp set up inside Chodora. Another two weeks had gone by, and Kester was finally in sight. Now, Cole had been summoned by Alexander Hill, the commander of his unit. He pushed the flap of the tent aside, and Alexander spotted him immediately, motioning for him to come to the front. The other soldiers were already crammed into the large tent. Once everybody had quieted down, Alexander began speaking.

"Alright! This is it boys, we're finally here! I'm not going to beat around the bush so I'll just tell you outright. As all of you know, Kester is just on the horizon. We plan to march forward and take it in a five day siege!" He took a special laser pointer, and circled a stretch of plains near the city.

"We're going to be setting up artillery guns in this area, and they'll focus on shelling Kester day and night to lower their moral. Scouting parties stated that they believe the monsters are evacuating the civilian population as we speak. Moreover, our birds have been dropping leaflets warning the civilians of what's coming over the past days. With any luck, we won't be having collateral damage. While Kester is being shelled, we'll be positioning ourselves at key points all around the city to completely surround it. On day five, a wave of bombers is going to come in and light Kester up. Immediately after they're gone, we charge in, and take the city. Now Private Nelson here is the only one of us that has been inside Kester, he in fact grew up here. So he knows the lay of the land much better than we do. So I don't do this often, but I'm going to be handing this briefing over to him, and he'll be telling us where we'll be coming in from."

Alexander handed the laser pointer, and Cole glanced around the room before nodding. "Thank you commander. Now as you will see, there's a river on the south side of the city. We're coming in from the north, so unfortunately taking the city from behind will not be an option. Now I don't doubt that the monsters will expect this, so we need to be prepared for stronger fortifications elsewhere. The three companies present here will be splitting up. The 48th company will take the charge in from the north, straight to the monsters. They'll have the advantage of covering fire from the artillery shells as mentioned by Commander Hill. The 32nd company will swing around and come from the west. They'll have the more difficult task, since there's no direct line from the west that wouldn't interfere with the 48th company's invasion. If you want, you can go one step further, and follow the river down to this road here, and move in from the south."

Cole focused to the opposite end. "Then we'll have the 102nd. There's a lot of farmland on the east side of the city, which will make for decent cover. We can use the tall plantation in the area to mask their approach. However, it means they might have to sacrifice the luxury of heavy armour. While the risk can be made to send tanks with, if they get spotted, they'd be sitting ducks out there. There's a road in the middle of all that farmland leading from the east in. The three companies will diverge and meet at the city center, where we'll focus on city hall. We take city hall, we take Kester, and Chodora will be back in human control. Now one thing to remember, is that Kester is a very tight city. It might be difficult for armor to move around, so your company sergeants have the specifics of your routes already mapped out. Any questions?"

There were none. Cole handed the pointer back to Alexander who nodded. "Thank you private. Alright gentlemen, you're dismissed! Get some rest, we'll be moving out at 0400 hours on the dot." As the soldiers began to mill around, Alexander firmly patted Cole's shoulder.

"Good job up there private."

Cole cracked a small smile as he nodded. "Thank you sir."

Alexander sighed. "You know, we're all coming here for the first time, but you? You grew up here. What's it like? Being home again?"

Cole sighed, with a hint of sadness in his voice. "To be honest, this barely feels like home anymore. Nothing's the way it was before the war, and now this? I don't know. I almost wonder if it'll ever be able to be that way again."

Alexander nodded. "Mhm...well, war tends to have that effect. Hey, we're going to get your home back. Then we're going to get back at those bastards for everything they did."

Cole chuckled. "Sounds like a plan sir." He gave his commander a salute, before he walked out of the tent, deciding he would at least try to get some sleep before tomorrow. He would need it.

* * *

Xavier stared out from one of the small walls on the outskirts of the city, gazing off into the trees surrounding Kester. The monster commander took a deep breath from the dusk air, then glanced over his shoulder as a monster soldier sprinted up to the wall behind him. Xavier looked back to the trees and barked.

"Report."

The soldier saluted before beginning to speak. "Our forces have located the Niacan forward operating base, right where you predicted it would be sir."

Xavier nodded. "Excellent. I take it you've already begun preparations?"

The soldier nodded, sounding confident. "Yes sir, they won't know what hit them. With any luck we'll be able to push the Niacans back and turn the war around."

Xavier straightened. "Thank you, that will be all." The soldier saluted once more before turning around and sprinting away. Xavier gave a smug smirk as he turned away. The Niacans thought they had Kester in the palms of their hands. They had no idea what lay in store for them.


	7. Story On Hiatus

Hello readers!

So, this is something I've been considering for some time. Now, before I continue don't get me wrong, I love writing action stories. It's something that I personally feel that I've been very good at doing, and it's been a pleasure.

However, it's all I've actually done for a while. The past few stories like Kingdom Come, Dawnbreak, Underfire etc, have all been focused on action stories. To be honest, it's getting somewhat repetitive, and it's no longer as fun for me to write it.

So it's for this reason, that for the time being, Fuel For the Traitors is going to be put on a hiatus.

I know this might be an unpopular decision with some, but please understand that in order for me to write well, I need to be invested in what I'm writing. The moment I lose interest in what I'm writing, is the moment the story begins to look more rushed.

I will definitely be finishing the story up in the future. I'm not sure how long that'll be. Could be a week, maybe two, maybe a month before I start writing that particular story again, but it will be done.

In the meantime, I do have another story that I want to write instead, so I will be releasing the first chapter for that, hopefully by tomorrow night/Wednesday morning. I'll continue writing Fuel For the Traitors when I've had a bit of a rest from the action, and am able to return from a fresh perspective.

Now don't get me wrong, the story that is coming will definitely have conflict. It just won't be the sword-fighting explosion type stuff. (Well, at least not immediately anyway.)

I hope you guys understand why I'm doing this. So again, the story is on a break, but it WILL be finished in the future.

I look forward to writing again in the future!


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